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Library programs to celebrate El dia de los niņos

The New Mexico State University Library will celebrate El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros on Thursday, April 30, with two programs featuring presentations by award-winning Southwestern children's author and publisher Lee Byrd and illustrator Antonio Castro.

There will be a book talk for children from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. A program for adults, which will feature a discussion about bilingual children's literature and book publishing, will be held from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. The free public programs will be on the second floor of Zuhl Library.

There will be a question and answer session following each presentation. A book signing will follow the afternoon program, with copies of "The Treasure on Gold Street (El Tesoro en la Calle Oro)" by Byrd available for purchase.

In 1985, with her husband, poet Bobby Byrd founded Cinco Puntos Press, a publishing company named after their neighborhood in El Paso, Texas. Cinco Puntos, a publisher of non-fiction, fiction, poetry and children's literature, is recognized for bringing the multicultural literatures of the American Southwest, the U.S.-Mexico border region and Mexico to a national audience.

Castro has illustrated dozens of children's books including "Barry, the Bravest Saint Bernard" (Random House), "Pajaro Verde," "The Treasure on Gold Street," "The Day It Snowed Tortillas" and most recently, "The Gum-Chewing Rattler" (Cinco Puntos Press).

The programs, organized by humanities librarian Mardi Mahaffy and education librarian Sarah Baker, are part of the NMSU Library's annual celebration of the national El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day). The programs are funded by a grant from NMSU's Southwest and Border Culture Institute.

El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros was founded by Pat Mora in 1997. The day's purpose is to celebrate children, families, reading and multiculturalism.

For more information, contact Mahaffy at (575) 646-6925 or Baker at (575) 646-6087.